


fallen for the fear

by chocolatebirdie



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-19 13:59:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11899221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chocolatebirdie/pseuds/chocolatebirdie
Summary: Jace considered himself a pretty brave person. He wasn’t afraid of getting hurt (much to Alec’s frustration), open spaces, closed spaces, snakes, or heights.Really. Heights were fine. It was planes that were a bitch.(anonymous asked: jimon + strangers on a plane)





	fallen for the fear

**Author's Note:**

> slowly transferring my tumblr writings here, here u go! :-)

Jace considered himself a pretty brave person. He wasn’t afraid of getting hurt (much to Alec’s frustration), open spaces, closed spaces, snakes, or heights.

Really. Heights were fine. It was planes that were a bitch. He didn’t like what he couldn’t control, and he couldn’t fly this plane. But he’d be damned if that would stop him from going to the beach with his siblings.

Of course, they both had to fly out tomorrow because of their jobs, which left Jace alone on the plane. Well, not alone - the chattiest person he may have ever met sat next to him, talking about everything from the weather to the best type of luggage one could buy.

“I’m sorry, I’ve been talking so much and I hardly let you speak! What’s your name?” the guy asked.

“Jace,” he gritted out.

“Jace! Cool name. Not very common. I’m Simon. Kinda common, I guess. Simon Cowell, Paul Simon - does that count, if it’s a last name?” The guy named Simon continued talking, practically to himself, staring out the little window absentmindedly.

Once they were finally up in the air, Simon seemed to notice Jace’s relative silence. “Not one for small talk? Or planes? Or is it just me? That’s okay if it is, I don’t mind - ”

“Planes,” Jace grunted. They were moving up enough now to make his ears pop - the part he hated most of all.

“Ah, that’s understandable,” Simon said. “Planes are a very common fear, you know. Although actually car accidents are much more likely, both because we use cars more frequently and planes are generally less likely to have problems - that’s why plane crashes are always a big deal, ya know? I like flying, but landing is the worst. It’s like they’re trying to rearrange my organs with all the jostling around they do, I swear.” Simon chuckled to himself.

“I like the landing,” Jace said after a moment. “Means it’s over.”

Simon laughed, longer than probably strictly necessary. “True! True. But when it’s over, you won’t get to see my good looks anymore. And no one deserves that kind of pain in their life.”

Jace smiled a little in spite of himself. Simon caught it and beamed back. Just for a moment, Jace thought maybe planes weren’t the worst thing in the world.

And then the turbulence hit.

Jace clenched his teeth and clamped his hands on both arm rests, knuckles turning paper white.  _You’re fine, it’s fine_ , he muttered to himself. He wished he could call Alec - he always seemed to know what to do to help Jace, even when Jace didn’t know how to ask.

“Hey,” Simon said after a minute, annoyingly calm. “I have an idea. I mean, you can tell me to fuck off if you want - although I kinda can’t, ‘cause we’re in an airplane and all, but you know, I’ll get the idea - ”

“Simon.” Jace gave him a look that said  _get on with it._

“Right, right, the point,” Simon said, unbothered by Jace’s irritation. “Anyway, my point is, if it’d help, you can, um, you can hold my hand. As hard as you want, just to relieve the pressure, you know?” Simon laughed nervously, becoming almost as unsettled as Jace. “‘Cause I bet a hand is more comfortable than a plastic arm rest. And, like, I can just keep talking to you, cause I’m good at that - of course you probably noticed.” Simon laughed again. He seemed to laugh almost as much as he talked. “But like I said, this is low pressure, I mean, you can say no obviously, but I might judge you a little if you get all no homo about it, no offense - ”

“Simon,” Jace said again, cutting him off.

“Yeah?”

Jace didn’t say anything; he just held out his hand.

He saw Simon grin out of the corner of his eye, and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t smiling a little, too, as Simon took hold of his hand and squeezed once.

He was warm, and his fingers were calloused where they brushed the back of his hand. Jace couldn’t deny he felt a little better.

“So, here’s how it’s gonna go,” Simon said. “I’ll talk, and just keep talking, unless my voice goes out, or something. You can talk if you want, or not, it’s whatever. Cool?”

Jace nodded. Simon raised his eyebrows expectantly, and Jace rolled his eyes. “Cool,” he said eventually.

Simon grinned again. “Sweet! So. I’m Simon Lewis, I’m twenty, I’m going to Orlando to visit my best friend Clary and her parents - well, it’s her mom and her stepdad, but he’s basically her dad, and kind of mine too, since mine died when I was twelve……”

Simon talked and talked and talked, and Jace listened. He expected to get bored of hearing every detail of Simon’s life, but he found that he didn’t really mind. Eventually the turbulence subsided and the seatbelt sign turned off, but Jace didn’t say anything. He kind of liked holding Simon’s hand. A lot.

It took him some time, but eventually Jace started talking too. He was going to Orlando as well, and Simon was ecstatic about it. Jace talked about Alec and Izzy, his parents and Max, even his adoption and his abusive birth father a little. Jace couldn’t recall the last time he had talked this much to a stranger - he wasn’t even sure there  _was_  a last time.

They lapsed into comfortable silences now and again, but they never lasted long. Simon was eager to share details about his life and Jace was, if not eager, equally willing to share about his.

Their flight was starting to land when Jace realized that he really didn’t want to say goodbye to Simon. He was over-talkative, over-eager, and a dork, and Jace really, really liked him.

“Hey,” he nudged Simon, who was watching their descent. Simon turned and looked at him, eyebrows raised in question.

“Would you - um - do you think,” Jace stuttered. He never stuttered.

He took a deep breath and tried again. “Do you want to - exchange numbers? And… keep in touch. Or, whatever, I don’t know.” He stared at the seat in front of him, unable to look Simon in the eyes. God, he usually had charm. Wit.  _Eloquence_.

“Hey,” Simon said, nudging him back. When Jace finally turned, Simon was somehow smiling bigger than he had all day. “I’d really, really love that.”

It was Jace who grinned this time. He squeezed Simon’s hand, and didn’t let up as they finally landed. He didn’t let go of his hand as they exited the plane, and he didn’t let go as they walked over to pick up their luggage. Only as they left the airport, Simon armed with Jace's number, did Jace finally give Simon his hand back. It was harder than any plane ride could ever be, in his opinion.

But then he got a text, not five minutes later, from an unknown number:

_“Hey :) - your airplane boyfriend”_

And Jace had to admit, he’d had a pretty damn good day.

**Author's Note:**

> talk to me on [tumblr](http://clarylightbane.tumblr.com) and [twitter](http://twitter.com/beebobane) about jimon, malec, clizzy, and/or raphiorn!!!
> 
> or anything else tbh


End file.
